Executive Order No. 36: Affordable Housing
NC Governor Stein's Housing Executive Order Signals
a New Approach to North Carolina's Housing Crisis
Governor Josh Stein's Executive Order No. 36 is focused on increasing housing opportunities across North Carolina through a coordinated, statewide approach. The order establishes a framework for developing North Carolina's first comprehensive housing strategy while addressing a projected shortage of approximately 750,000 housing units by 2029.
Rather than focusing solely on funding affordable housing programs, the Executive Order recognizes that meeting the state's housing needs will require coordination among state agencies, local governments, the private sector, and community stakeholders. It represents one of the most comprehensive statewide efforts in recent years to align housing policy, economic development, and local planning around a common goal: increasing North Carolina's housing supply.
To lead that effort, Governor Stein appointed a Senior Advisor for Housing Policy, Janneke Ratcliffe. She is responsible for coordinating housing initiatives across state agencies and stakeholders. The objective is to create a long-term framework that aligns state investments, economic development priorities, infrastructure planning, and local housing needs.
A Supply Challenge Requires a Supply Solution
For years, housing discussions have focused primarily on affordability. Executive Order No. 36 acknowledges this reality by directing state agencies to prioritize housing production and identify opportunities to reduce barriers that slow development.
The order encourages greater collaboration among cabinet agencies, expanded use of technology in housing and development processes, investment in the construction workforce, and support for local governments that pursue policies encouraging additional housing opportunities.
These initiatives are designed to address both the immediate need for more housing and the long-term structural challenges that increase the cost and complexity of development.
The Right People Need to Be in the Room
The value of a committee is not simply that it exists—the value is who is sitting around the table. Housing challenges are too complex to solve in isolation. Success will depend on collaboration among the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, with each bringing its own expertise to the table.
The Executive Order directs cabinet agencies to work alongside local governments, tribal governments, developers, builders, employers, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations, and other housing stakeholders to develop North Carolina's first comprehensive statewide housing strategy.
This broad coalition reflects the reality that housing is not the responsibility of any one organization. Local governments oversee land use and zoning. Developers and builders create housing supply. Employers depend on a workforce that can afford to live in the communities they serve. Nonprofits and community organizations understand local housing needs, while state agencies provide funding, infrastructure support, and policy direction.
By bringing these diverse perspectives together, the Governor's Office is seeking to create a coordinated strategy that balances housing production, affordability, infrastructure, workforce development, and long-term economic growth.
The Road Ahead
There is no single policy that will solve North Carolina's housing shortage. Success will require continued collaboration between state agencies, local governments, the private sector, and community organizations.
The creation of a statewide housing advisory committee recognizes that housing is a foundational issue affecting economic development, workforce recruitment, infrastructure planning, and the long-term competitiveness of North Carolina.
No formal committee appointments have been announced under Executive Order No. 36. Instead, Senior Advisor for Housing Policy Janneke Ratcliffe has been charged with engaging stakeholders and developing North Carolina's first statewide housing strategy. By August 17, 2026, she is required to present Governor Stein with an initial framework outlining the state's housing goals, performance metrics, and strategy for increasing housing opportunities.
READ: Executive Order No.36: Increasing Housing Opportunities For All North Carolinians
At CLT Public Relations, we monitor housing, development, and public policy issues that impact businesses, associations, local governments, and communities across North Carolina. To learn more about how state and local policy decisions affect your organization, contact our team.